Her Broken Smile
by GiRl On tHe EdgE
Summary: Hermione is a happily married woman. Severus is not as lucky. there is a tragic accident at the ministry, leaving hermione alone. she runs into the arms of someone unexpected, changing thier lives forever. SS.HG
1. Miss Granger

Disclaimer: I do not anything except my feeble attempt at a story line and the new Malfoy residence. : ) All characters, objects, and settings in the Harry Potter book series are property of J.K. Rowling, not myself. Blah, Blah, Blah ... I'm sure you get the point.  
  
Hermione's P.O.V.  
  
There was a clicking on her bedroom window. She opened her tired eyes; vision still blurred from sleep, and saw a barn owl perched on her window sill. She walked over to the large bird, and saw a letter tied to its leg. She freed the its of its burden and the tawny owl took off immediately. It was addressed to a Miss Hermione Granger. Hermione turned over the envelope, and saw the Hogwarts seal. She opened the letter.  
  
Dear Miss Granger,  
  
As you know, Hogwarts has always had difficulty securing a Defense against the Dark Arts teacher to the position for more than one year. Well, our troubles have thickened, once again. No one will accept the position for its reputation. I have gotten word that you are currently unemployed. I was only hoping that you might be interested in taking the job. When you make your decision, please send an owl ahead.  
  
Thank you, Albus Dumbledore  
  
"What are you doing up, Hermione?" Draco said sleepily from behind her.  
  
"I've just gotten a letter from Hogwarts; Dumbledore wants me to teach Defense against the Dark Arts." She replied. "He addressed the letter to Miss Hermione Granger..."  
  
"I don't think that man likes me very much..."  
  
Hermione laughed. "Yes, I think he does like you... after what you did for them all... how could he not?" The smile slipped from her face.  
  
He wrapped his arms around the small of her waist and planted a soft kiss on her neck. "Come back to bed..." 


	2. The Mystery Woman

Disclaimer: I do not anything except my feeble attempt at a story line and the new Malfoy residence. : ) All characters, objects, and settings in the Harry Potter book series are property of J.K. Rowling, not myself. I am not making a profit off of any of my writing ... Blah, Blah, Blah ... I'm sure you get the point.  
  
Snape's P.O.V.  
  
September first... again. Snape thought morbidly. He dreaded the beginning of term. Well, at least there was one thing to look forward to... this might be the eighth year in a row that he didn't have a student in his class seriously question his authority. He hadn't been corrected once in the confides of his dungeon classroom since ... oh, it was years ago now, since Hermione Granger had graduated.  
  
He sat at his mahogany desk preparing the lessons for the following term. There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Enter." He said curtly.  
  
"Severus, the carriages will be arriving soon-" but Professor Flitwick was interrupted mid-sentence.  
  
"I'll be there shortly, thank you."  
  
He would have done anything to not go up to the great hall... once again. But he had learned, many years ago, that if Dumbledore requests something, even if it in your opinion is the most dreaded thing in the world, it is best to acquiesce and ... well ... take it like a man.  
  
He stacked the papers neatly and placed them in the corner of his desk. I wonder who Dumbledore has appointed to the position of Defense against the dark arts Professor. Severus Snape had stopped requesting the position after being denied for 8 years in a row. But every year, he couldn't help but wonder...  
  
He entered the great Hall, filled with students, and strode up to the staff table. He sat down at the far end and scanned the table for the new teacher. There were two empty seats beyond Dumbledore's. One was reserved for professor McGonagall, and the other, he knew, was for the new teacher.  
  
Just then a woman walked through the grand entrance. At first he thought it was professor McGonagall, but as he had first met her, young and radiant. As the woman drew nearer, he noticed that she had softer features than Minerva. Her chestnut hair was pulled into a loose bun at the back of her head with strands of stray curls framing her angelic face.  
  
She looks so familiar... Severus concentrated on where he could have seen her before ... but he couldn't quite but his finger on it.  
  
The beautiful women approached the staff table, she walked up to the headmaster and she stood in front of him, with her hands behind her back, standing in perfect form, as if waiting for appraisal.  
  
I'll give her an appraisal... Severus thought wickedly.  
  
But Dumbledore just smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye. The woman's face broke out into a large grin. Her large brown eyes glistened with tears. She pulled her hands out from behind he back, and wrapped them around the fragile old man.  
  
It was like watching a grand daughter and grand father reunite. Snape considered this possibility for a moment before remembering that Dumbledore didn't have any children.  
  
When they finally parted, the headmaster placed his hands on the woman's shoulder affectionately.  
  
"Welcome back." He said cheerfully.  
  
"It's good to be back." The women replied.  
  
That voice... I've heard it before...  
  
The women sat in the second empty seat from Dumbledore. She glanced down the table. They made eye contact for a moment before the students fell silent. The women looked up at the entrance to the great hall with a look of apprehension. Severus looked around at the students, most of which were wearing the same expression as the mystery women. 


	3. The Sorting

Disclaimer: I do not anything except my feeble attempt at a story line and the new Malfoy residence. : ) All characters, objects, and settings in the Harry Potter book series are property of J.K. Rowling, not myself. I am not making a profit off of any of my writing ... Blah, Blah, Blah ... I'm sure you get the point.  
  
Hermione's P.O.V.  
  
Professor McGonagall entered the great hall with a double line of terrified 11 year olds trailing behind her. Minerva marched up to the front of the great hall carrying a stool, a hat, and a roll of parchment.  
  
It was so quiet; the only sound was the soles of her shoes clicking on the hard, stone floor.  
  
She positioned the rickety, four legged stool down in view of everyone, then she placed the old, leather hat on top of it and stepped back. The hat was faded, torn and slightly bent at a strange angle. It was just the way Hermione remembered it. It squirmed, and then appeared to twitch. A tear in the old leather fabric expanded near the brim- and the hat began to sing.  
  
"There hasn't yet been a sorting That I have not attended. To put you in your place, Is for what I am intended. I have done so more than A thousand times before, And I will do so A thousand times again. I look inside your head, To find where you should be. There is not a student here That has not worn me. Be it Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Or Slytherin. Put me on, And I shall see Just where it is You ought to be."  
  
The whole of the student body broke into applause as soon as the cap had said its last words.  
  
Silence fell over the great hall yet again. Professor McGonagall paced back up to the stool, picked up the hat, and turned on her heel to face the students.  
  
"When I call your name, sit on the stool."  
  
And so the sorting commenced.  
  
Hermione applauded loudly for the new Gryffindors. It had been 14 years since she had been one of the first years being greeted at the house table.  
  
She glanced back down the table, where professor Snape, her old potions was sitting. How she had despised him. He was staring attentively as the sorting hat. And when it yelled "SLYTHERIN" Snape clapped hard, but kept the same indifferent expression on his face. She had never noticed it before... and thought it quite amusing.  
  
He doesn't recognize me... that's why he hasn't insulted me yet. She thought sarcastically.  
  
The sorting was complete. There was scattered conversation in the hall, welcoming of new students mostly. Dumbledore stood and, once again, silence fell.  
  
"I have a few announcements before we proceed, but I think they can wait until after we've proceeded. That would be a more appropriate time for announcements. So until we've finished proceeding, dig in!" Dumbledore sat down and as soon as he picked up his fork, food magically appeared on their plates.  
  
After everyone was sufficiently stuffed, Dumbledore stood once more. 


	4. Her Introduction

Disclaimer: I do not anything except my feeble attempt at a story line and the new Malfoy residence. : ) All characters, objects, and settings in the Harry Potter book series are property of J.K. Rowling, not myself. I am not making a profit off of any of my writing ... Blah, Blah, Blah ... I'm sure you get the point.  
  
Snape's P.O.V.  
  
"Well, now that we've completed proceeding, its time for the announcements I promised you. Firstly, we have a new Defense against the Dark Arts professor." Dumbledore paused for effect, "This is professor Malfoy-"  
  
Snape nearly inhaled the pumpkin juice he had been drinking. Malfoy???  
  
"She was a student here not so long ago-"  
  
He couldn't believe his ears. Lucious had only one child... Draco. Malfoy was not a common last name. Maybe this was Draco's wife...? He wondered...  
  
Albus applauded as the woman stood, blushing profusely.  
  
And then it struck him... Granger?  
  
Dumbledore had excused the students to their common rooms. They filed out and soon enough the great hall was devoid of students. Severus just sat. He was sure that it couldn't be her.  
  
He saw her in deep conversation with professor McGonagall. He sat for another minute, waiting for them to say good night. They hugged and walked off in separate directions. Snape got up from his seat, and walked up to her.  
  
"Excuse me." he said in a voice that even he could not recognize as his own. The woman turned around. "My name is Severus Snape, I teach potions here at Hogwarts." He reached out his hand, waiting for her to shake it.  
  
But she just looked at him, dumbfounded it seemed. "Do you not recognize me, professor?"  
  
"Should I?" he asked.  
  
"I would have hoped that you did. There was never a class that I did not loose points for Gryffindo-"  
  
"Miss granger?"  
  
Seeing her close up, there was no doubt in his mind that this was indeed Hermione Granger... or rather, Hermione Malfoy, the same deep eyes, same petite nose, same full lips...  
  
"Well actually, it's Mrs. Malfoy, now." She smiled.  
  
Now it was Severus's turn to look dumbfounded.  
  
"Don't look so surprised, Severus. Children do grow up, you know." She replied playfully. 


	5. Moving In

Hermione's P.O.V.  
  
She grinned mischievously, and turned to walk away.  
  
'Where did that come from?' She thought.  
  
She glanced back over her shoulder, flashed him another quick smile, and exited the great hall.  
  
She knew Hogwarts better than she knew her own home. She let her feet carry her through the main corridor, up the changing steps, past the portrait of the fat lady, and into a smaller, less traveled hallway. Professor McGonagall had given her directions earlier in the great hall. She walked into a dead end; there was nothing. She was told she could choose her own password, but there was no portrait there to take it. She just stared blankly at the brick wall in front of her.  
  
She looked the wall up and down until she saw a small piece of parchment held up with spell-o-tape to her right. She pulled it off the wall. It read...  
  
Touch the tip of your wand to the wall, and state your new password.  
  
That didn't seem so difficult... she pulled her wand out of her robes, placed the tip of the wand to the center brick and said, "Draco."  
  
The bricks in the wall shook. They turned and separated down the middle; they shifted and moved up into an archway. She was awed. She stepped through the opening and the bricks flew back into they're original places.  
  
She turned to see... an open space. There wasn't really much. There was nothing but a fireplace. She looked around. It wasn't plain, it had potential. She saw two doors at the other end of her living space. Hermione assumed they led to the bathroom and closet.  
  
The room was large, very large. She looked up to see the ceiling a good 14 feet over her head. She walked over to the fireplace, where her trunk was located. When she approached it, there was yet another piece of parchment spell-o-taped to it.  
  
'The furnishings and accessories are up to you. You can decorate in  
any way you feel comfortable. This room is meant as your living  
quarters, change anything you feel necessary.  
In case you had not already been informed, you are aloud to have  
visitors, and you are aloud to le-  
  
There was a loud swoosh and a flash of green light. He stepped out of the fireplace, as handsome as ever.  
  
"Surprise." He said coolly with a large grin on his face.  
  
Hermione was taken aback, she hadn't been expecting company. But she was smiling none the less. "What are you doing here, Draco?" She asked as he wrapped his strong arms around the small of her waist.  
  
"I want the grand tour. Let's go explore."  
  
"Yeah, okay."  
  
They walked to the adjacent wall were the two doors were located. Hermione opened the first door and looked inside. This room was also very large. She walked into the bathroom and looked it up and down. There was a large bath in the middle of the room with taps lined all against one side. It was well in proportion to the size of the room, almost the size of a swimming pool. It reminded her of the prefect's bathroom on the third floor.  
  
Draco followed her in silence.  
  
They exited the grand bath and entered the second room. It was a closet. It was just a large room with racks along one side. Draco turned back outside the door "Locomotor trunk." The trunk floated into the closet. "Un-pack" he commanded. Her trunk flew open and her robes, shirts, pants, skirts, and intimates all put themselves away in the spaces intended for them.  
  
They walked back out of the room. He once again held her close in his arms. It was hard to believe that they only just married two months ago.  
  
"I'm home sick already." She said as she caressed his soft face. "I don't want to away from you-"  
  
He kissed her softly. "You don't need to miss me; we can see each other anytime we want to."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I want to help you make this feel more like home." He said. He looked around the room. "Do you want to start now?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
He took out his wand and pointed it at the far side of the room "Appraro." He had conjured a beautiful cherry wood, four-poster bed.  
  
'How come I didn't think about that...?' She scolded herself.  
  
She pointed her wand at the bed. "Appraro." And the bed wrapped itself in light pink silk sheets, pillows grew at the head, and a white feather down comforter materialized a foot above the bed and billowed down onto it like a cloud.  
  
They separated from they're embrace and Hermione continued to personalize her space.  
  
When she was done, she stood against a wall and admired her work. There were hard wood floors, and a large crystal chandelier that did justice to the magnificent dome ceiling. She had conjured white leather couches and placed them strategically across from each other. There was a vanity mirror against one wall, and right next to it, a mahogany desk. Her living area was now her own.  
  
"It's wonderful." She exclaimed  
  
"You're wonderful." He whispered  
  
He pulled her toward him, and held her close. She became lost in his embrace. The warmth, the feeling, was all overwhelming. She never wanted him to let go. He loosened his hold on her enough to lower his head down to meet hers. Their foreheads were touching, and they made eye contact.  
  
Hermione reached her arms around his neck, and kissed him fully on the lips. His soft, sweet lips. He walked her backward, picked her up and placed her in the center of bed. He pulled away from her for a second. His eyes bored into her. He unbuttoned her robes from the top to the bottom. Then after, pulled his tee shirt over the top of his head, leaving his hair tousled.  
  
He kissed her seductively, deeply, lovingly... and she kissed him back with the same enthusiasm.  
  
"It's been so long..." Draco said into the kiss. Hermione paused.  
  
"It's only been three days."  
  
"Three days with out your touch is like an eternity in hell, my love. Your touch is like heaven-" but he was cut short  
  
"Just shut up and kiss me." Hermione once again pressed her lips sweetly upon his. 


End file.
